The World We Live In
by mnt31092
Summary: AU After leaving her past behind, Lindsay moves to California. When she meets Danny, she's thrown into a completely different world than the one she's used to.
1. Chapter 1

Lindsay Monroe had never felt so out of place before. The week before when she had been packing, the thought of her not fitting in didn't even enter her mind. After all, she'd moved before and each time did so, she never seemed to have a problem adjusting. This time was going to be different, though. She could just tell, and she hadn't even gotten out of her car yet. All she had to do was glance at the other cars around her to notice that her brother's old jeep that she was driving definitely stuck out. The car next to her was a brand new Lexus. The one in front of her was a Mercedes. And Lindsay hadn't seen any of the drivers behind their tinted windows, but she could probably assume that her thrift store clothes didn't meet the standards of these people, either.

For a moment, as she drove past more expensive cars, Lindsay wondered again what she was doing there. She was fully aware of the fact that this town would probably eat her alive. Her mother had even told her so just a couple of days ago.

"Beverly Hills is no place for a country girl like you," she had said.

She knew her mother was right, but she didn't care. Moving to Beverly Hills meant she could start over, and anyone who knew Lindsay knew that she needed a fresh start.

Lindsay had planned on leaving Bozeman as soon as she graduated high school. Her hometown was a constant reminder of who she lost in the diner that horrible night, so all Lindsay wanted to do was escape from those memories. She was going to pack up her car with all of her stuff and then leave that town for good. She'd find a random place on the map and she'd make that her new home. But then during her senior year of high school, she met Phil Harrison. Somehow, Phil managed to sweep Lindsay off her feet and by graduation, the two were engaged. Instead of leaving like planned, Lindsay stayed in Montana for college. All during her college years, Phil promised Lindsay that they would leave after she graduated. Lindsay believed him, which thinking back on it, was probably the worst mistake she could have made. If she had just gone with her instincts and had left on her own after college, then all of the pain from that relationship could have been avoided.

The abuse didn't start until about a month after they moved in together. In the beginning, Lindsay stayed with him because she still thought that she loved him. After awhile, though, she stayed because she was afraid. If she left, she had no idea what he would do. So she stayed, fooling their friends and family into believing that they were happy together.

After four years of living with the abuse, it was Lindsay's brother, Chris, who found out about what was going on. It had taken a lot of convincing, but Lindsay finally agreed to leave Phil. When he was at work one day, Chris helped Lindsay pack up her stuff and moved her into his place. When Phil came looking for her, Chris had chased him off the property with a shotgun, threatening to kill him if he ever came close to his little sister again.

That had been three weeks ago.

Now Lindsay was in Beverly Hills, ready to start her new life. She was excited for this big change, and she couldn't wait to see what this town had in store for her.

At the next stop sign, Lindsay took a right and drove until she got to a gate. She slowed her jeep to a stop and watched as the guard stepped out of the guardhouse, clipboard in hand.

"Name, please," he said.

"Lindsay Monroe."

The guard flipped through the pages on the clipboard, then nodded. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Alright, Miss Monroe, I hope you enjoy your time in our community," the man said, still smiling at her. He then stepped back into the house and pressed a button that opened the gate. Lindsay waved, then drove into the community.

Lindsay knew that gated communities were usually where the rich people lived, so she knew the houses would be nice. Still, as Lindsay drove past Mediterranean mansions, she couldn't help but stare at them in awe. It was one thing seeing them on television, but seeing them in person was incredible. She couldn't believe that people could actually afford to live in places like this. She couldn't believe her best friend, who she would be staying with, could afford a place like this. It was incredible.

It didn't take long for Lindsay to find her friend's house. She pulled into the driveway and compared the address on the paper to the one on the mailbox, just to double check if she was at the correct location. When she was positive that she was, she stopped the car and stepped out of it, taking in the mansion in front of her. It was, of course, gorgeous. It was unlike any place she'd ever been to before.

Just as Lindsay was about to grab her bags from the backseat, she saw the front door to the mansion open. She grinned when she saw her best friend step outside.

"I thought I heard country music blasting out here," Don Flack teased as he hurried over to her, pulling her into a hug.

Lindsay sighed, looking up at him. "Are you ever going to stop making fun of me being a country girl?"

Don thought about it for a second, then he shook his head. "Nope, that's never going to happen." He smiled at her as he ended their hug. He then reached for her bags and began heading to the house. "Come on, let's get you settled, then we can talk."

* * *

Unlike Lindsay, who was a country girl, Don Flack was from the city. He had been born and raised in New York, and his and Lindsay's paths would have never even crossed if it hadn't been for one fateful summer when he was thirteen and she was eleven.

During that school year, before summer had even began, Don had started to get into trouble. He was becoming more that his mother could handle, so when summer came around, she decided to ship him off to camp, just so she didn't have to deal with him all summer long. The camp that he was sent to was in Montana, and Lindsay had been going that same camp since she was seven. When Don arrived, Lindsay developed a little crush on him. Actually, all the girls at camp had a crush on him, but Lindsay was the only one Don seemed to notice.

They spent all summer together, and he was even Lindsay's first kiss. As the summer came to an end, they exchanged phone numbers, promising to keep in contact. They kept their promises, and when the next summer arrived, Don, much to his mother's surprise, was more than happy to go back to camp. As they grew older, they quit going to camp, but they always stayed in touch. Lindsay's parents used to joke about the fact that the two of them would probably end up getting married. Lindsay would usually make a face and shake her head, knowing that would never happen. Except for that first summer, she didn't have any romantic feelings for him. He was her best friend, and most of the time, she referred to him as her brother.

Lindsay hadn't planned on telling Don about the abuse, but when he had asked why her and Phil broke up, she told him about everything. He, much like Chris, wanted to murder the person who had hurt Lindsay. It had taken an hour for Lindsay to calm him down. She kept reassuring him over the phone that she was fine, and that things were going to be okay. Finally, after he was calm, Don suggested that Lindsay move out to California. That way she could have a fresh start. At first, Lindsay hadn't been so sure, but then she thought back to all those days of her dreaming about getting out of Montana. Don had just given her a chance to do it, and there was no way she could turn that down.

"So," Don asked as he set a glass of iced tea in front of Lindsay, then took a seat across the kitchen table from her, "now that you're out here, what's your plan?"

"Well I've already talked to the school here, and they said once I get my license, they're going to hire me as a first grade teacher," Lindsay said, smiling. After taking a sip of her tea, she then added, "Maybe I'll be teaching Elliott and Christina one day."

Don nodded, grinning at the thought. "Yeah, maybe."

"Speaking of the kids, where are they?"

"Jess is picking Elliott up from school and she took Christina with her. They'll be home soon," Don responded.

Ever since they were teenagers, Don would tell Lindsay that in the future, he'd never settle down. He was planning on being a playboy for life. Then he'd met Jessica Angell, and that's when Lindsay started to get phone calls about how in love he was. She had laughed, not sure whether or not Don would actually give up his playboy status for good. To Lindsay's surprise, he had, and now he was happily married and had two children.

"So," Lindsay began, but she was cut off by the ringing of Don's phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and groaned when he saw it was his boss calling.

"Yeah, it's Flack," he answered. "Yeah...alright. Sure, I'll be there in few."

"You have to go?" Lindsay asked before Don could say anything.

"Yeah, I do. Some kids found a dead body in the park."

Lindsay nodded as she watched Don stand up and put his phone back into his pocket.

"I'll see you later, then," Lindsay said.

"You'll see me at seven. Jess and I are taking you out tonight. Plus, there's someone I really want you to meet."

The last part of Don't sentence came as a shock to her. She hadn't planned on meeting anyone that night, and she definitely didn't have anything to wear. She prayed they were going to some crappy bar, because that's the only place she knew she'd probably fit in. Judging by their location, though, she pretty much assumed they wouldn't be going to a place like that.

* * *

"Jess, you really don't have to do this," Lindsay said for what felt like the millionth time.

"Really Lindsay, it's fine," Jess assured her.

Lindsay sighed, realizing she probably wasn't going to win this arguement, so she continued to follow Jess down the hallway and into her bedroom in silence. She had only met Jess a few times before, and even though the two really liked each other, Lindsay still thought it was awkward that the woman was letting her borrow her clothes. But Jess insisted that she do so, saying this way, she wouldn't stick out so much when they went out that night.

When Lindsay entered Jess's closet, which was probably about the size of her old bedroom and living room combined, she considered switching her career choice. Obviously, in Beverly Hills, the real estate industry was booming. Lindsay was curious to know just how much Jess made, but then she realized it didn't matter. If she made enough to pay for the mansion they were in _and _the entire wardrobe of designer clothes, obviously it was enough.

Lindsay watched as Jess expertly skimmed through the racks of clothing, trying to find something. Finally, she pulled a simple black dress off the hanger.

"This would look incredible on you," she said, handing the dress over to Lindsay. "You can pick any shoes you want, and the purses are hanging in the corner. And feel free to use any of my make-up."

Lindsay could only nod in response. Jess smiled, then turned to walk away. As soon as she was gone, Lindsay took off her old jeans and T-shirt. Deep down, she was dying to put on that dress, just to know what it felt like. Before she did slip into it, she took a look at the label. It was Stella McCartney. Lindsay shook her head, amazed at the fact that there she was, holding an expensive designer dress. Never in a million years did she think this would ever happen.

After putting on the dress, Lindsay searched through all of the shoes and finally settled on a pair of Jimmy Choo's. She then grabbed the first clutch she could find and tried not to drool over the fact that it was Chanel. After applying a little bit of make-up, she determined that she was ready to go. As she was leaving the closet, she caught a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror. Shocked by what she saw, she turned around and walked up to it, staring at the transformation. She marveled at how the dress showed off her curves and at how the make-up seemed to light up her eyes. She smiled, definitely liking what she was seeing.

* * *

The bar was crowded when Jess and Lindsay entered it. They stood in the doorway for a few seconds until they saw Don sitting at a table, waving them over. As they walked over to him, Lindsay could feel the eyes of men staring at her, which was something she wasn't used to. People usually associated her with the word cute, but never hot. Lindsay sort of liked the attention now.

"Wow Monroe," Don said after giving Jess a quick kiss, "you sure do clean up nice."

"Thanks," Lindsay said, taking a seat next to Jess. "So who is this person you want me to meet?"

"I've told you about my friend Danny, right?" Don asked.

"Yeah, of course."

"He's here tonight and I figured I'd let you meet him."

"Really?" Lindsay asked excitedly. "I finally get to meet the same Danny you've been talking about since high school?"

Don nodded, then pointed across the room. "Here he comes now, actually."

Lindsay turned in the direction Don was pointing, then she saw the person he was pointing at. She noticed that the guy looked familiar, and it took her a moment to realize why. When she did figure it out, her jaw dropped, and she turned to look at Don again.

"Are you serious? That's Danny?"

* * *

**So how do you like it? Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I planned on updating this sooner, but things got in the way, and I'm sorry about that. And I must say, I'm very surprised/happy about the feedback I've gotten for this story! Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter, thanks to the people who have added this to their favorites, and a special thanks to **dantana-balscofanxoxo, ixistargirl89ixi, Catty, afrozenheart, pretty7, at, Brinchen86, jorizo, **& **Wait To See Me Smile **for reviewing. **

"Oh, so you know him?"

That question had to have been the dumbest question Don had ever asked Lindsay. How could she not know who Danny was? If anyone didn't know who Danny Messer was, they had to have been living under a rock for the past few years. He was the biggest name in the music industry. Not that Lindsay ever listened to his band. His face being plastered on the cover of Us Weekly ever other week was pretty much the only reason she knew who he was. And he always seemed to be on the cover for the same reason: he's back together/broken up with his actress girlfriend, Aiden Burn.

Now, Lindsay had never met the guy before, but she had seen a few of interviews with him, and honestly, she couldn't stand the guy. He always acted like a jerk, and he was extremely cocky. He acted as if he was the most talented person out there, like he was the only reason his band was famous. In fact, Lindsay felt a little bad for the other members of the band. You never heard anything about them. She thought that the bass player's name might have been Mac, but she wasn't a hundred percent positive.

The thing that surprised Lindsay the most was the fact that Don was actually friends with this guy. Of course, according to Don, their parents knew each other, so the two of them had been friends since they were babies. Lindsay could remember all the times she would talk on the phone with Don and he'd tell her some crazy story about what him and Danny did that day. Even as they grew older, Don still mentioned Danny quite frequently. Never once, though, did he mention Danny's last name or what he did as a living.

"Is that seriously him?" Lindsay asked as Danny came closer to the table. Don nodded as he tried not to laugh at the surprised expression on Lindsay's face.

"So is this the Lindsay Monroe you've been tellin' me about?" Danny asked as soon as he reached the table. He took the seat next to Lindsay, smiled, then held his hand out. "How ya doin'?"

Lindsay, being polite, smiled back at him and shook his hand. She then turned her attention to her surroundings, trying to ignore the fact that Danny was staring at her. However, even as she tried to focus on something else, she could feel Danny's eyes on her. Looking over at him, she felt her face flush at the way he was staring. The way he was staring, it was almost like he'd never seen a woman before.

"Can I help you?" Lindsay asked, causing Danny to blush, obviously a little embarraased about getting caught staring. He quickly played it off though, shaking his head at her question.

"I gotta tell ya, Flack," he then said, finally turning away from Lindsay, although it seemed the conversation would be about her. "When you told me she was from Montana, I was expecting overalls and missing teeth. I definitely wasn't expecting this."

Lindsay laughed at this as she said, "I'm not surprised _Flack_ over there didn't tell you about what I look like. He seems to be pretty good about leaving out details." When she glared at Flack, he only smiled and took a sip of his beer, pretending to ignore the look.

"You know," Danny then said, leaning in close to Lindsay, his voice low so only she could hear, "when I say I wasn't expecting this, it's a good thing. It's definitely a good thing."

If it had been any other guy who had said that to her, Lindsay would have been estatic. Only this was Danny Messer and from what she'd read, when he wasn't dating Aiden, he was quite the player. Lindsay couldn't even imagine how many women he'd used that same line on.

"So Danny, how's Aiden?" Jess asked.

When Lindsay looked at Danny to hear an answer, she saw how his eyes lit up at the mention of his girlfriend. And as she listened to him talk about her, she realized that the line he had said previously was just to be friendly. There was no way he was flirting with her when he seemed to be so in love with Aiden. Of course, she couldn't help but wonder why the two broke up so often when Danny described them as being a happy couple.

After an hour of talking, laughing, and drinking, Jess and Don decided that it was time for them to go home.

"Will we be expecting you and Aiden to come to the barbeque Sunday?" Don asked as he stood up. Danny nodded, grinning.

"Have I ever not shown up? It's free food."

Both Danny and Don laughed, then said their goodbyes. After Jess gave him a hug goodbye, Danny turned to Lindsay. He smiled, then gave her an awkward hug.

"It was nice meeting you," he said. "I'll see you soon."

* * *

Lindsay didn't know how many times she had turned on her bed and glanced at the alarm clock on the table next to her. At around two in the morning, she finally decided to get up and go downstairs. She figured that maybe if she watched tv for a little while, she could fall asleep easier. Only when she got downstairs, she found out she wasn't alone. The light in the kitchen was on and she could hear footsteps. When she entered the kitchen, she saw Don staring into the open refrigerator.

"You going somewhere?" Lindsay asked, noticing that he was fully dressed.

"Unfortunately, yeah. This whole waking up early thing is probably the shittiest part of being a detective."

"Really?" Lindsay crossed her arms and smirked at him. "This is the shittiest part?"

"Okay, the dead bodies aren't that great, either. But the dumbass suspects can be pretty entertaining," Flack said.

Lindsay let out a laugh before she headed over to take a seat at the kitchen table. "So why didn't you tell me that your best friend Danny is, well, famous," she asked.

Don shrugged as finally closed the refrigerator door. "I didn't think it was important," he answered. He then moved over to the cabinet and pulled out a box of Pop Tarts.

"Pop Tarts, Flack? Really?" Lindsay didn't even try to hide the amused grin forming on her face.

"I've got kids, Linds. I'm allowed to eat Pop Tarts," Don said, putting the two Pop Tarts into the toaster. "Now tell me, why do you care so much about Danny?"

"I don't."

"You think he's cute, don't you," Don asked. He laughed when he saw Lindsay's face turn a slight shade of red.

"No, of course not. I just think you should have told me he's famous. I mean, wouldn't you want me to tell you if I were friends with Angelina Jolie?"

Don considered this question, then answered, "Eh, I'd only want you to tell me if you were friends with Jennifer Aniston. I like her better."

Lindsay could only shake her head. She honestly didn't know why she was asking about Danny. It wasn't like she cared about him whether he was famous or not. He was just a person, and she definitely didn't think he was cute. Deciding it was now time to change the subject, Lindsay thought back to what was said earlier.

"So there's a barbeque on Sunday?" she asked.

Don nodded as he grabbed the Pop Tarts out of the toaster. "Yup. Jess and I have been doing it ever since we moved here. It's our beginning of summer barbeque. It's pretty fun. You'll have a good time."

"I'm sure I will."

Don smiled, then glanced at the clock. "I've gotta go. I'll see you later." He gave Lindsay a kiss on the cheek, and then he was gone.

* * *

The guests started arriving at around four o'clock on Sunday evening. Lindsay had unofficialy made herself the greeter by answering the door andguiding the guests to the backyard even though she was pretty sure everyone had been there before. She really just wanted to do something that made her not stick out so much since everyone who was arriving either had children or a date. And because Lindsay had neither of those things, she just figured it would be best if she just answered the door.

By five o'clock, the place sounded like a zoo. Children between the ages of three and six were running wild through the backyard, screaming like crazy. Lindsay honestly had no idea how Don and Jess could deal with the chaos, but if they were annoyed, they didn't show it at all. They were the perfect hosts. Especially Jess, who had spent the entire morning cleaning and the entire afternoon cooking. She wanted to make sure everyone had a good time that night.

At six, Lindsay figured that everyone who was going to show up was already there, so she was pretty surprised when she heard the doorbell ring again. She left her spot on the patio and hurried to the front door. When she opened it, she saw Danny standing with a beautiful, dark haired woman whom she already knew was Aiden Burn.

"Well hey there, Montana," Danny greeted excitedly, pulling her into a hug like he had the night before. When the two seperated, Lindsay just smiled at him, choosing to ignore the fact that he'd called her by her home state instead of her name. She then glanced at Aiden, who was glaring at her.

"Who's this?" she asked, her voice slightly annoyed.

"This is Lindsay," Danny answered. "She's Flack's really good friend, and she just moved here yesterday."

Aiden looked Lindsay up and down, then she rolled her eyes and pushed past her into the house. Lindsay stared back at her, shocked at how rude she was.

"You'll have to ignore Aiden," Danny said, his voice apologetic. "She can be a real bitch sometimes."

Lindsay nodded, a little surprised about how honest Danny was about it.

"So what're you doin' answering the door? Is Flack not allowing you into the party?" he asked. "If he's not, I can kick his ass for ya."

Lindsay laughed, shaking her head. "That's sweet of you, but I chose to take the job of answering doors. I figure it's better than worrying about not fitting in all night long."

"Ah, the fear of not fitting in. I know that feeling a little too well," he admitted. This also shocked Lindsay. Danny seemed like the type of guy who was confident all the time and would never have a problem with fitting in. Knowing that he wasn't always that way made him seem a bit more human to her. "So how about you and I go and enjoy this party?"

Lindsay hesitated for a moment, not sure if she was ready to join the others yet or not. "What if more people show up?"

"The only other people who are coming are the guys in my band, and they know they don't have to knock," Danny said. When he noticed that Lindsay still didn't look convinced, he gently took her by the arm and tugged her towards the backyard. "Come on, it won't be that bad. I promise."

It shouldn't have been that easy to convince her, but there was something about the sincerity in his voice that made her trust him, which was pretty odd since she wanted to hate him the day before. And so she let him guide her to where the others were, ready to face what the night had in store for her.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed, and now I need your help. **

**I'm not very creative, so if anyone has any suggestions for band names, please, let me hear them!**

**Thanks **

**=)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm so glad you all like the idea of Danny being in a band! And I'm sorry about the delay in updating. I'll try to update sooner. Sorry this chapter's shorter. But still let me know what you think about it. Reviews are always welcome!**

**And thanks so much to **Linoria, pretty7, Wait To See Me Smile, jorizo, afrozenheart412, Lindsay1234, **and **ixistargirl89ixi** for reviewing the last chapter. **

**Now on with the story. Oh wait....**

**Disclaimer: Forgot to do this in the first two, but I'm sure you already know I don't own anything. Okay, now on with the story!**

If Lindsay had thought that she wouldn't have fun at the party, she was definitely proved wrong. After Danny had dragged her to join the rest of the people, she had actually found herself starting to relax and getting to know the people around her. Most of the people were hard working people trying to make a good life for their children, just like Don and Jess. However, those people weren't the people Lindsay was interested in. After the rest of Danny's band showed up, she found herself spending most of her evening with them. And why shouldn't she? They were a likeable group of people.

She had been right about the bass player being named Mac. Mac Taylor, to be exact. To Lindsay's surprise, he was a little bit older than the rest of the guys, and more serious, too. Although as the night progressed, Lindsay could see that he did have a fun side to him. The other two that she met were Adam Ross, the lead guitarist, and Sheldon Hawkes, the drummer. She also met Stella Bonasera, Mac's wife, whom she took an instant liking to. The only person in the group Lindsay couldn't seem to like was Aiden.

All during the night, she kept glaring at her for no reason over the table. And after every glare, she'd see Danny give her an apologetic smile. She'd just shrug it off, trying not to show that it bothered her, but the truth was, it did. Lindsay had only known the woman for a few hours. There was no reason for Aiden not to like her.

"I need another drink," Stella said, standing up out of her chair. She grabbed her cup, then turned to Lindsay. "You want to come with me?"

Lindsay picked up her own almost empty cup and nodded. As she stood up and followed Stella into the kitchen, she could feel Aiden's eyes staring her down. Once she reached the kitchen and was away from the crowd of people, she decided to ask Stella the question that had been bothering her all night.

"Is there any reason why Aiden doesn't like me?"

Stella, who had been putting ice in her cup, stopped and turned to face Lindsay. A small smile was forming on her face as she answered the question. "Aside from the fact that Aiden's a bitch, you're competition."

"Me? Competition? For what?" Lindsay asked.

"Danny," she stated as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. Lindsay could only stare at her, jaw dropped. "What?"

"Aiden's gorgeous," Lindsay began, "and I'm, well, average. I don't see what she has to be worried about."

"You're an attractive woman, Lindsay, and Aiden can be a little insecure," Stella explained as she began to fill her cup with ice again. "But don't worry, she should get over it in a week or so. That is, unless you like Danny, because then we might have a problem."

Lindsay couldn't help but laugh at what Stella said.

"Why would I like Danny?"

"I don't know," Stella said, shrugging. "But he likes you."

"Oh yeah? What makes you think that?"

"Those looks he's been giving you all night, I know those looks. He only gives those looks to women he's interested in," Stella explained. She motioned for the vodka, which Lindsay handed to her, then she continued to speak. "But don't worry, his little crush won't last long. They never do."

"Obviously one has, though," Lindsay said. "It's pretty serious with him and Aiden, right?"

Stella chuckled before saying, "Aiden's just there for sex, and no matter what Danny thinks, it'll never be serious between them."

While Lindsay thought about this for a moment, Stella finished pouring her drink and began to walk back to the party. "I'll see you back outside," she heard Stella say. Lindsay nodded, then began to make her own drink. As she was doing so, she saw the subject of her and Stella's previous conversation walk by. Lindsay watched as Aiden made her way down the hallway and to the stairs. Aiden kept looking behind her as if she was making sure no one was following, which Lindsay thought was a little strange, but she just shrugged it off. Aiden was not her problem.

* * *

Not long after Lindsay returned outside, the group sitting around the patio table soon began to disappear. Mac had an early interview the next morning so him and Stella had called it a night a few minutes earlier. Don and Jess were busy entertaining the children while Adam's girlfriend had shown up so he was spending time with her. Sheldon just hadn't felt well so he left a couple minutes before Mac and Stella did. Now the only remaining people at the table were Lindsay and Danny. In her head she was coming up with small talk so there wouldn't be an awkward silence at the table. As it turns out, she didn't need those ideas at all.

"So," Danny began as he leaned back in his chair and focused his eyes on her, "why don't you tell me about yourself."

Lindsay glanced at him, her eyes locking with his for a moment before she looked away and shrugged. "There's not much to tell," she said. "I've lived in Montana all my life, I have an older brother, and I'm a teacher. That's about it."

"Why'd you decide to move here?"

Upon hearing the question, images of Phil began to flood Lindsay's brain. That was the last thing she wanted to think about, so she quickly pushed those images aside. "I guess I just needed a change," she answered. She was thankful with the fact that Danny seemed to be satisfied with the answer and didn't need her to explain more. Deciding it was best to not talk about her past, Lindsay turned the conversation on him. "Tell me how you and Don met. From what I know, you're from Staten Island and he's from Brooklyn. The chances of you meeting very slim, am I right?"

"Yeah, you're right," he said, nodding. "Our dad's had been friends for years. They were both cops and they had worked together at some point. And since they were such good friends, Flack and I spend a lot of time together, and we ended up becoming really good friends, too."

"So your dad was a cop, too. That's pretty cool. How come you didn't want to be a cop like him and Don?"

"I didn't want to be anything like my dad." The way he answered the question caused chills to run down Lindsay's spine. There was something different in his voice, and she noticed how his eyes had turned a darker blue. She saw anger written all over his face, but when Lindsay looked closer, she saw a hint of sadness. The moment passed quickly and Danny was soon asking her questions again, totally dropping the conversation of his dad and his past. Lindsay tried her best to stay cheerful and answer his questions, but she couldn't keep that look that he had out of her mind. She knew that look. It was the same look she'd had when she was in a relationship with Phil.

And at that moment, she realized she wasn't the only one keeping a dark secret from the people she met. Just by seeing that look, she knew that Danny had a dark secret of his own.

* * *

As the night grew on, the air grew colder. Lindsay shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to make the goosebumps go away. When Danny noticed, he started to take off his jacket.

"You can borrow it," he said, but Lindsay shook her head no.

"It's okay, I can just run upstairs and grab mine." She smiled at him, appreciating his kind gesture, then headed into the house. When Lindsay got to the end of the hall where her bedroom was, she didn't think twice before opening up the door and walking right in. Although after she walked in, she wished she hadn't.

What she saw when she walked in caused her jaw to drop. She recognized the man to be one of the dad's of the kids from the party. From what she remembered, his wife was also at the party. On top of him was the last person she had expected to see.

The man was quick to jump out of bed and grab his clothes. He rushed past Lindsay, his face bright red from embarassment as he mumbled "Sorry". Aiden, however, didn't seem as embarassed. She didn't hurry as she pulled her clothes on. In fact, it was almost as if she was enjoying putting Lindsay in an awkward situation.

"How could you do this to Danny?" was all Lindsay could ask.

"Oh please, Danny's probably cheating on me, too. After all, he's in a band. Don't you know that the boys in the band always cheat?"

Lindsay didn't exactly have an answer to this. After all, up until yesterday the only person she'd known in a band was her geeky ex-boyfriend from eigth grade who had played the trumpet in the school band. Still, Danny didn't strike her as the cheating type. She might have thought he was before, but now that she'd actually gotten to know him a little, she couldn't imagine him cheating. Sure, he was a flirt, but Lindsay could see that he had a devoted side to him as well. She just wished that Aiden could see that herself. That way Lindsay didn't have to be stuck in such an awkward situation.

And to think that this was only her second day in town and she was already in the middle of a couple's messed up relationship. She was beginning to think that Beverly Hills really is as dramatic as it's shown on television.


	4. Chapter 4

Lindsay had never seen anything like it before. Back in Montana, there'd been a mall with a Macy's and all the other stores that the average person shops at. This was something else though. Rodeo Drive, Lindsay decided, was the one place every woman should visit before they die. It was heaven for anyone with an incredible amount of money to spend, but even for someone who couldn't spend a dime, like Lindsay, there was still something about the place that caused her to be in awe.

She made sure to snap a photo of her standing in front of the street sign so she could send it home to her parents. After that, she pulled out her map and tried to figure out where to go next. She knew she looked like a tourist with her map and inexpensive clothing, and she knew that the people who passed her by were looking at her like she was the kind of person who would pronounce Rodeo like an actual rodeo. Only she didn't care. How could she when she was in such an incredible place? She was having fun, and that was all that mattered.

When Lindsay's stomach began to rumble, she put her map away and decided to go to the grocery store instead. She knew Elliott and Christina would be home in an hour so she figured she'd make them lunch and spend the rest of the day with them. That way Danny, who was supposed to take them to the dentist earlier that morning, could have the rest of the day to himself.

At the thought of Danny, Lindsay felt her stomach churn. She hadn't told him, or anyone, about what she had seen the night before. She'd wanted to since she thought that he deserved to know, but when she'd joined everyone back at the party and had seen him with Aiden again, she just couldn't. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, especially since he really did seem like a nice guy.

She wasn't going to think about that right now, though. After the hell that she'd been through back in Montana, she figured she owed it to herself to relax and not have any drama in her life at the moment. Even though having a life free from drama wouldn't last long, she figured the least she could do was try and have one day without it. So far everything had been going well. She only hoped that the rest of the day would stay like that.

* * *

When Lindsay arrived home, she was surprised to hear noises coming from the backyard since the kids weren't supposed to be back for another twenty minutes. She quickly put away her groceries, then she headed out to the backyard to see what was going on. What she saw instantly put a smile on her face. While Elliott was swimming laps in the pool, Danny was standing in the shallow end as he held on to Christina protectively.

"It's alright, sweetie," Danny was saying, his voice calm and soothing, "I promise I won't let go. You're just gonna put your face in the water. It doesn't even have to be for long."

"No, no, no!" Christina said, wrapping her little arms around Danny's neck, refusing to let go. Judging by the amount of frustration there was in Danny's loud sigh, it was obvious to Lindsay that he'd been attempting this with the little girl for awhile. When he turned around and saw her though, all the frustration seemed to disappear as he flashed her a smile.

"Hey."

"Hi," Lindsay responded. She kicked off her flip flops and walked over to the pool's edge then sat down so she could dip her feel in the water. "I wasn't expecting you guys to be here so early."

"Their dentist appointments had to be cancelled. Then we figured that it's such a nice day, we might as well not waste it, so here we are," he answered. "And for the past thirty minutes, I've been trying to teach Christina to swim, which isn't an easy thing to do at all."

"Yeah, it's 'cuz she's a scardey cat!" Elliott yelled from across the pool.

"You say that about your sister one more time, El, and I promise that you'll regret it," Danny said, shooting at glare in Elliott's direction. He quickly shut up and continued to swim while Danny focused on Lindsay again. "You should get in the water with us," he said, smiling at her again.

"I am in the water," Lindsay said, motioning down at her feet. "See?"

"I don't mean just your feet, wiseass. You should get all the way in."

Lindsay shook her head. "I can't. I'm going to fix the kids lunch."

"I let them have ice cream before we got home. They won't want to eat again for awhile."

Silently cursing, Lindsay tried to think of another excuse to not spend time with Danny. She would do anything to avoid the awkwardness. Of course, it was only awkward for her and not him since he still had no idea about what happened last night. And the fact that he didn't know made her feel guilty because she knew and hadn't said anything yet.

"I don't have anything to wear," she finally said. "And I definitely don't think it would be appropriate to skinny dip around the children."

Danny laughed and shook his head. "No, it wouldn't be. But I'm sure Jess wouldn't mind if you borrowed something," he said. "Come on, you don't have any excuse not to come in."

He was right about that. Sighing in defeat, Lindsay stood up. "I'll be back in five minutes."

* * *

True to her word, Lindsay emerged from the house five minutes later in one of Jess's bikinis. As she stepped into the pool, she didn't fail to notice the way that Danny was staring at her. When he noticed that he was causing her to blush, he quickly looked away and focused his attention on Christina again.

Lindsay thought back to what Stella had said the night before, about him having a crush on her. She shook her head, still not believing it was possible. He was probably just admiring how she looked, in a friendly sort of way. Just like she was admiring how good he looked without a shirt on...

She quickly shook those thoughts away and reminded herself that he had a girlfriend. Yes, she was an extremely bitchy girlfriend who was cheating on him, but it didn't matter. He was still a taken man. And it wasn't even if she liked him. To her, he was just a friend, and nothing more than just a friend.

For the next hour, Lindsay ended up having a pretty good time in the pool with Danny. Much to her surprise, she found it easy to forget about what had happened with Aiden last night and just focus on her time with Danny and the kids.

The two of them had given up on trying to teach Christina how to swim awhile ago so they'd put her water wings on and let her float around the pool on her own. Elliott was happy about that since now they could focus more and him. And that was exactly how they spend most of their hour. They watched as Elliott showed them how he could dive into the pool, how he could do handstands under water, and how he could hold his breath for a really long time. Eventually he got tired of showing off and went back to swimming, leaving Danny and Lindsay time to talk. They decided to sit on the pool steps, that way they could watch both of the kids and make sure nothing happened. At first, there was a comfortable silence between them, but soon Danny was the first to speak.

"I broke up with Aiden," he said. Lindsay looked at him, shocked.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He nodded, and she tried to think of something else to say. She didn't know how upset he really was about this, so she decided to just say the truth. "You deserve so much better than her," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, as if she was unsure about whether or not she should of said it. He looked at her, though, and he gave her a tiny smile.

"What makes you say that?"

She took a deep breath, not sure if she should tell him or not. It could hurt him, but it couldn't possibly do that much damage. After all, he wasn't even with her anymore. After a few more seconds of thinking it over, she just let it out.

"She was cheating on you." When he didn't respond, she continued, "I caught her last night. She was with some guy from the party. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how. I'm really sorry."

There was no immediate response from him. For a minute, the only noise was that of the children splashing in the pool. That minute felt like an eternity for Lindsay though as she waited for some kind of response from him. Finally, he let out a breath and nodded.

"I kinda figured she was," he said. "Our relationship wasn't the best. In fact, you could have told me last night and it still wouldn't have bothered me."

"Well you're a lot stronger than I am. If someone I loved cheated on me, I'd be heartbroken."

"I didn't love her," Danny responded. "I thought in the beginning I could love her, but she changed a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. She used to be really great, but as soon as she started using drugs, she was a completely different person. I guess that's when the relationship went from good to bad."

Lindsay nodded as she tried her hardest to imagine Aiden as anything but a bitch. She figured it was possible. People did change, and she knew that from personal experience with her last relationship.

After Danny finished with the story of his relationship with Aiden, she noticed herself moving closer to him. She then placed her hand on his arm and gave him a warm smile. "You're going to find someone else, you know. Someone who you will want to love and someone who will love you back just as much."

Danny looked at her and smiled. Her eyes met his, and she felt a connection that she'd never felt with anyone before. She knew now that what she thought before was wrong. There was definitely a part of her that liked him as more than a friend. Still, she didn't know if she was ready for anything to happen yet, so she stood up.

"Are you getting hungry yet?" she asked, stepping out of the pool. "I'm thinking about fixing the kids that lunch now."

She watched as Danny sighed and stood up himself. "Yeah," he said, "I guess that's a good idea."

Nodding, she grabbed a towel and quickly headed inside, wondering to herself if she really had just seen a look of disappointment on Danny's face or not.

* * *

"Kraft macaroni and cheese?" Danny asked as he passed Lindsay the box. He watched as she dumped the noodles into the boiling pot of water. "You made it out to seem like you were gonna be makin' some fancy lunch, and you end up making macaroni and cheese from a box?"

"You think you could do better?" she asked, smirking at him.

"Yes, yes I could," he teased. "In fact, I could knock you off your feet with my chicken parmesan."

"Would I be knocked off my feet because I'm dying from it?" she joked, laughing at his fake upset expression.

"That's not funny, Montana."

Lindsay shook her head, wondering how long him calling her Montana would last. She sort of hoped he kept the nickname. Not that she was about to admit it, but she sort of found it cute.

"Seriously though, I can cook," he continued. "Maybe one of these nights I'll make something for you. We can add a bottle of wine and call it a date."

She looked away from him, unsure of how to respond to that. She didn't know if he was joking or if he was actually asking her out on a date. His next sentence let her know which one it was.

"It doesn't have to be that fancy. We can do something more casual, like go to a movie or something. You can pick." When Lindsay gave him a confused look, he said, "I'm asking you out on a date, just in case you didn't know."

Lindsay couldn't help the laugh that escaped from her.

"Oh, is that what this is?" she asked. "I think you can do better. If you really want an answer out of me, you're going to have to do this properly."

Danny thought about it for a second, then he suddenly took her hand and pulled her to him.

"Would you, Lindsay Monroe, like to go out on a date with me this Friday night?"

She seriously thought about his question. If she was going to be honest with herself, she didn't know how ready she was for a new relationship. But, if she was still going with the whole honesty thing, she also knew that she wanted to go out with him.

And that was why her answer was yes.

* * *

**A/N: I feel like I'm writing a Nicholas Sparks novel by starting the relationship out this early. But oh, what the heck. We all love Danny and Lindsay together, so who cares? **


End file.
